Summer road work projects set in South Fayette

By Deana Carpenter

For The Almanac

writer@thealmanac.net

South Fayette Township Manager Ryan Eggleston discussed the 2014 summer paving plan with commissioners at a March 13 meeting. The proposed $302,529 plan includes paving for portions of the Fairview neighborhood.

Roads included in the plan are Lawnshadow Drive, Greenwood Drive to the entrance to Fairview Park, Woodhaven Drive and Firwood Drive. Those roads will be milled and paved. Parks Road, West Bridge Drive and Bowman Road are scheduled to be tarred and chipped this summer.

The board is set to vote on putting bids out for the project at its March 19 meeting. Eggleston said he is looking to have bids back by May and move forward with paving in the summer.

Eggleston also informed the board that the bridge that passes over Coal Run at the intersection of Washington Pike and Bursca Drive in the township is slated to be replaced this summer. It is a PennDOT project.

Route 50 is set for upgrades in 2015. The upgrades include paving and resurfacing portions of the road in the township, Eggleston said. He added that the Cecil portion of the project could start sometime this summer.

Newbury Update

Eric Newhouse, project manager for Newbury, informed the board that Phase One of the Newbury Market is ready to begin leasing.

“We’re very excited to proceed,” Newhouse said.

Don Housley of KLH Engineers, Inc. said the land development and site plan have been reviewed and he has recommended a few minor changes. He said the outstanding issues include leaving existing vegetation undisturbed, fixing drainage issues and installing a riparian buffer along Chartiers Creek.

Winter Update

Eggleston commended the job done this winter by the township’s public works department.

“It has been a long winter and we certainly appreciate their efforts,” Eggleston said. He said the township has used its “fair share of salt” and is looking on calculating the final numbers and looking at the budget for the department.

“We used a lot more salt than anticipated,” Eggleston said.

He added that the public works department is currently looking to purchase a street sweeper.

“It will get plenty of use,” cleaning up the anti-skid material put down this winter, Eggleston said.

School resource officer

Eggleston said the township is moving forward with the school resource officer at the South Fayette Township School District. The district was awarded a grant for a resource officer, which is to be a township police officer.

The position has been posted within the police department and Eggleston said the officer should be in the school sometime this spring.

Other business

• Nick Rodi, of the Willowbrook homeowner’s association, requested at the meeting that No Parking signs be placed in that community. Rodi said Willowbrook is looking to eliminate on-street parking from the hours of 2 a.m.-6 a.m. daily.

He said there have been issues in the community with people parking on-street overnight or parking large vehicles on the street for long periods of time.

“Two a.m. to 6 a.m. would enable emergency vehicles and plows to get through,” Rodi said. He also pointed out that other township neighborhoods have restricted on-street parking. “I just think it’s a smart move.”

• Eggleston informed the board that the township received a final executed grant agreement from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The grant would be used to purchase a portion of the former Mayview property, which is now owned by Aloe Brothers. Eggleston said the township is “continuing to move forward with trying to acquire that property.”

• Eggleston discussed the idea of creating a township newsletter with the board. He said the job of creating the newsletter would most likely go to the newly-created position of community development director. Eggleston is currently writing a job description for that position, which will be part-time.